OT: Watson to Brownies

[Bill Lee]

Well apparently there were written reports. Did Goodell commit perjury?

The memo states that the NFL received at least 16 briefings from Wilkinson's law firm on her findings between August 2020 and June 2021, including at least four written briefings, and that Goodell was "personally briefed" at least twice. Goodell said in his prepared remarks that "we did not receive a written report of Ms. Wilkinson's findings."

Goodell of course is being carefully coached, and is a born weasel too.

To wit: those "briefings" are not "findings"...

 

[Bill Lee]

Some food for thought:

 

[Pape]

What's he going to do, plead the 5th?

1. Asked to appear before committee. He refuses.
2. Subpeona issued for his appearance.

If he refuses to answer questions, it's just a terrible look for him and the NFL. It looks like he's not cooperating and has a lot to hide.

This is great!

Unless they want to offer him immunity, that not only what he should do, I'd wager it's what he will do...

There have been grumblings and rumors about the NFL stripping him of his ownership rights... No matter how slim the possibility of that happening is, why give herr goodell and his henchmen any more information that might come out with a slip of the tongue...

 

[Bill Lee]

Unless they want to offer him immunity, that not only what he should do, I'd wager it's what he will do...

Sure, and that will not only make him look guilty, but also piss him off, based on what I know of him from various reports.

It'll probably accelerate the antagonism between him and the league, but the league seemingly always has at least one pissed off owner.

It was Al Davis for most of my childhood into middle age, now Snyder will fill that role.

Objectively, people who have dealt with him say he is a total butthead, IMO a falling out was inevitable.

 

[Pape]

Sure, and that will not only make him look guilty, but also piss him off, based on what I know of him from various reports.

It'll probably accelerate the antagonism between him and the league, but the league seemingly always has at least one pissed off owner.

It was Al Davis for most of my childhood into middle age, now Snyder will fill that role.

Objectively, people who have dealt with him say he is a total butthead, IMO a falling out was inevitable.

I hate the redskins... I think it's wonderful that they have a miserable guy like Snyder as an owner... I hope he keeps his brand of chaos and disfunction in Washington for a long time to come...

 

[venecol]

Goodell of course is being carefully coached, and is a born weasel too.

To wit: those "briefings" are not "findings"...

Briefings are interim findings.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

We can only guess why Watson settled with 20 women instead of taking them to court. My guess is that he's as guilty as sin and has the money to pay for their silence.

Or he just wanted to pay out 2.2 million to protect his 250 million.

 

[venecol]

Or he just wanted to pay out 2.2 million to protect his 250 million.

Among other obvious reasons (NFL decision), it may simply be a financial one. Paying out $3M may be way cheaper than having to pay a very high priced attorney to defend 20 different cases in court. That alone could cost >$10M and there's still no guarantee he doesn't have to settle down the road anyway.

Many high priced civil cases are settled for these reasons, it's cheaper to settle than the cost of defending yourself. Many large corporations settle cases w/o admitting fault or guilt to forgoe PR hits and cost.

 

[Nehalem]

I think the NFLPA has a valid point in bringing up the way Goondell has treated sexual cases against the owners (who are to be held to a higher standard) than the players.

Goondell testifies today on Snyder. He's got his hands full explaining the slap on the wrist he handed to Snyder w/o even a written report.

What owner has 66 women accusing them of sexual malfeasance?

 

[venecol]

The other thing to take into account is that the NFL and NFLPA are negotiating on how to deal w/ the ex-judge that will initially decide on what to do with this case (violation w/ X suspension or no violation), which is new under the CBA. This settlement is clearly tied into those negotiations.

I believe all parties (especially Goodell) would like to have the ex-judges decision not get appealed so this doesn't get dragged on further. They may all agree an 8 game suspension won't be appealed by either side, or some such thing. This is all happening behind the scene.

There's a reason the Browns continue to desperately try to trade Baker despite what's happening w/ Watson. They don't seem to be worried at all about the outcome of this case.

 

[venecol]

What owner has 66 women accusing them of sexual malfeasance?

So it's Ok if an owner does it to only a squad of cheerleaders?

 

[XLIX]

These same people in Congress that are going after Snyder genuflect at the feet of Bill Clinton!!

If I was Snyder I would answer every questions with "its not like a shoved a cigar up in her"

 

[Nehalem]

So it's Ok if an owner does it to only a squad of cheerleaders?

In July 2020, The Washington Post published a series of articles alleging that over 40 women who were former employees of the organization, including office workers and cheerleaders, had been sexually harassed and discriminated against by Snyder and other male executives, colleagues, and players of the team since at least 2006.[59][60] That December, it was also reported that Snyder had settled a sexual harassment claim with a former female employee for a sum of $1.6 million. The alleged incident had occurred on his private plane while returning from the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2009. Two private investigations at the time, by the team and an outside law firm, failed to substantiate the woman's claim, with it being reported that Snyder paid the sum to avoid any negative publicity.[61]

A year-long independent investigation into the team's workplace culture, led by lawyer Beth Wilkinson, was concluded in July 2021.[62][63] It found that incidents of sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation were commonplace throughout the organization under his ownership.[63] The NFL fined the team $10 million in response, with Snyder also voluntarily stepping down from running the team's day-to-day operations for a few months, giving those responsibilities to his wife Tanya

Daniel Snyder - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So in a span of 16 months Watson enagaged in more sexual malfeasance than the entire Washington football team did in 15 years.

 

[Bill Lee]

Or he just wanted to pay out 2.2 million to protect his 250 million.

He's paying out more than that when you consider how big his legal team is.

Gotta say, though, they are earning their dough.

He's also had a lot of endorsement deals suspended, canceled, or not renewed.

And of course, paying his way out of the situation isn't "clearing his name", it's just turning down the heat on him.

 

[Bill Lee]

There's a reason the Browns continue to desperately try to trade Baker despite what's happening w/ Watson. They don't seem to be worried at all about the outcome of this case.

CLE tied their future to Watson. The deal has been finalized, there's no going back. They did the deal after projecting forward all the outcomes they could foresee, and given how much cash and draft resources they sent, all worries they may have had were made irrelevant once the deal was approved by NFL HQ.

The thing not being mentioned here is that whatever you think of Baker, he has his supporters both in the building and in the fan base. He has to be gone, even if that means trading him for a bag of footballs, or for absolutely nothing. The alternative would be like having a new partner move in while the former partner stays, it's just not tenable.

It really doesn't matter who plays QB when Watson is suspended. In fact you don't want anyone too good, all that would do is create a controversy when Watson comes off suspension. So you trade away Baker, and play whatever scrub you care to put in till Watson comes off suspension. Watson will look great in comparison, which will give one more reason for some in the building and in the fan base to forget about the past.

 

[Pape]

He's paying out more than that when you consider how big his legal team is.

Gotta say, though, they are earning their dough.

He's also had a lot of endorsement deals suspended, canceled, or not renewed.

And of course, paying his way out of the situation isn't "clearing his name", it's just turning down the heat on him.

I think you are right... And I think they are angling to get this over quick as possible... Watson used the Brady strategy from deflate gate and lowered this year's base salary to 10m so if he gets suspended he doesn't lose the big dollars coming his way in 2023... What's a 5 or 6m penalty when he's going to get 46m next year...

 

[venecol]

Daniel Snyder - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So in a span of 16 months Watson enagaged in more sexual malfeasance than the entire Washington football team did in 15 years.

So a couple months suspension?

You forgot the word alleged.

 

[XLIX]

The thing not being mentioned here is that whatever you think of Baker, he has his supporters both in the building and in the fan base. He has to be gone, even if that means trading him for a bag of footballs, or for absolutely nothing. The alternative would be like having a new partner move in while the former partner stays, it's just not tenable.

It's kind of a crap sandwich they fixed themselves there with Mayfield. How do you cut a player, giving him a $19 million handshake on the way out, when he is better than anyone you have available at his position?

 

[venecol]

So it looks like the NFL/WFT team strategy is to say this was looked at, fine & suspension was imposed and the team has changed its conduct since then. Nothing to look at here, it's all in the past.

What a brilliant strategy. Lol

 

[Bill Lee]

I think you are right... And I think they are angling to get this over quick as possible... Watson used the Brady strategy from deflate gate and lowered this year's base salary to 10m so if he gets suspended he doesn't lose the big dollars coming his way in 2023... What's a 5 or 6m penalty when he's going to get 46m next year...

His signing bonus was $45M, he'll be fine.

OTOH seeing how much cash he has may be why four of the complainants haven't settled already, who knows?

Watson said his goal was to "clear his name" yet in the end he paid cash, the women's goal presumably is to have their day in court yet in the end they will probably take cash because as written earlier 99% of civil actions get settled out of court, largely because the costs and risks increase the further you go.

It's kind of a crap sandwich they fixed themselves there with Mayfield. How do you cut a player, giving him a $19 million handshake on the way out, when he is better than anyone you have available at his position?

In the eyes of the CLE execs, it's all sunk cost, the current and long term cash they're sending to the new QB, the draft picks they gave up, and the money they'll eat on the old QB, and the games they'll lose because the new QB is gonna be suspended. You and I can figure out the cost in rough terms, the CLE execs have access to staff and to consulting entities that can draw it all out in fine detail, yet they still went ahead.

It really is the same process in my mind as NBA tanking. The team is willing to commit to several seasons of really bad basketball and piss off fans by dumping decent players they have supported for years while having to pay full price to see scrubs play. The main idea is the fans will put up with a few seasons of watching scrubs because they have short memories and they're being fed one of the most powerful drugs there is, hope.

Same goes for CLE, they hope the fans rationalize away whatever feelings they had for Baker and whatever hopes they had for the current squad in the short term because they're being fed the drug of hope. Another issue is it did seem the team had plateau'd with Baker. The main issue in my mind is everyone seems to be presuming they will be a lot better with the new QB, but that may not be how things go.